# | Rank | Similarity | Title + Abs. | Year | PMID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 469 | 0 | 1.0000 | Ancient permafrost staphylococci carry antibiotic resistance genes. Background: Permafrost preserves a variety of viable ancient microorganisms. Some of them can be cultivated after being kept at subzero temperatures for thousands or even millions of years. Objective: To cultivate bacterial strains from permafrost. Design: We isolated and cultivated two bacterial strains from permafrost that was obtained at Mammoth Mountain in Siberia and attributed to the Middle Miocene. Bacterial genomic DNA was sequenced with 40-60× coverage and high-quality contigs were assembled. The first strain was assigned to Staphylococcus warneri species (designated MMP1) and the second one to Staphylococcus hominis species (designated MMP2), based on the classification of 16S ribosomal RNA genes and genomic sequences. Results: Genomic sequence analysis revealed the close relation of the isolated ancient bacteria to the modern bacteria of this species. Moreover, several genes associated with resistance to different groups of antibiotics were found in the S. hominis MMP2 genome. Conclusions: These findings supports a hypothesis that antibiotic resistance has an ancient origin. The enrichment of cultivated bacterial communities with ancient permafrost strains is essential for the analysis of bacterial evolution and antibiotic resistance. | 2017 | 28959177 |
| 3598 | 1 | 0.9995 | An investigation of horizontal transfer of feed introduced DNA to the aerobic microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract of rats. BACKGROUND: Horizontal gene transfer through natural transformation of members of the microbiota of the lower gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of mammals has not yet been described. Insufficient DNA sequence similarity for homologous recombination to occur has been identified as the major barrier to interspecies transfer of chromosomal DNA in bacteria. In this study we determined if regions of high DNA similarity between the genomes of the indigenous bacteria in the GIT of rats and feed introduced DNA could lead to homologous recombination and acquisition of antibiotic resistance genes. RESULTS: Plasmid DNA with two resistance genes (nptI and aadA) and regions of high DNA similarity to 16S rRNA and 23S rRNA genes present in a broad range of bacterial species present in the GIT, were constructed and added to standard rat feed. Six rats, with a normal microbiota, were fed DNA containing pellets daily over four days before sampling of the microbiota from the different GI compartments (stomach, small intestine, cecum and colon). In addition, two rats were included as negative controls. Antibiotic resistant colonies growing on selective media were screened for recombination with feed introduced DNA by PCR targeting unique sites in the putatively recombined regions. No transformants were identified among 441 tested isolates. CONCLUSIONS: The analyses showed that extensive ingestion of DNA (100 μg plasmid) per day did not lead to increased proportions of kanamycin resistant bacteria, nor did it produce detectable transformants among the aerobic microbiota examined for 6 rats (detection limit < 1 transformant per 1,1 × 10(8) cultured bacteria). The key methodological challenges to HGT detection in animal feedings trials are identified and discussed. This study is consistent with other studies suggesting natural transformation is not detectable in the GIT of mammals. | 2012 | 22463741 |
| 4630 | 2 | 0.9995 | Genome Analysis of the Enterococcus faecium Entfac.YE Prophage. BACKGROUND: Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria. Bacteriophages are widely distributed in various environments. The prevalence of bacteriophages in water sources, especially wastewaters, is naturally high. These viruses affect evolution of most bacterial species. Bacteriophages are able to integrate their genomes into the chromosomes of their hosts as prophages and hence transfer resistance genes to the bacterial genomes. Enterococci are commensal bacteria that show high resistance to common antibiotics. For example, prevalence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci has increased within the last decades. METHODS: Enterococcal isolates were isolated from clinical samples and morphological, phenotypical, biochemical, and molecular methods were used to identify and confirm their identity. Bacteriophages extracted from water sources were then applied to isolated Enterococcus faecium (E. faecium). In the next step, the bacterial genome was completely sequenced and the existing prophage genome in the bacterial genome was analyzed. RESULTS: In this study, E. faecium EntfacYE was isolated from a clinical sample. The EntfacYE genome was analyzed and 88 prophage genes were identified. The prophage content included four housekeeping genes, 29 genes in the group of genes related to replication and regulation, 25 genes in the group of genes related to structure and packaging, and four genes belonging to the group of genes associated with lysis. Moreover, 26 genes were identified with unknown functions. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, genome analysis of prophages can lead to a better understanding of their roles in the rapid evolution of bacteria. | 2022 | 35509366 |
| 3597 | 3 | 0.9994 | Evidence for extensive resistance gene transfer among Bacteroides spp. and among Bacteroides and other genera in the human colon. Transfer of antibiotic resistance genes by conjugation is thought to play an important role in the spread of resistance. Yet virtually no information is available about the extent to which such horizontal transfers occur in natural settings. In this paper, we show that conjugal gene transfer has made a major contribution to increased antibiotic resistance in Bacteroides species, a numerically predominant group of human colonic bacteria. Over the past 3 decades, carriage of the tetracycline resistance gene, tetQ, has increased from about 30% to more than 80% of strains. Alleles of tetQ in different Bacteroides species, with one exception, were 96 to 100% identical at the DNA sequence level, as expected if horizontal gene transfer was responsible for their spread. Southern blot analyses showed further that transfer of tetQ was mediated by a conjugative transposon (CTn) of the CTnDOT type. Carriage of two erythromycin resistance genes, ermF and ermG, rose from <2 to 23% and accounted for about 70% of the total erythromycin resistances observed. Carriage of tetQ and the erm genes was the same in isolates taken from healthy people with no recent history of antibiotic use as in isolates obtained from patients with Bacteroides infections. This finding indicates that resistance transfer is occurring in the community and not just in clinical environments. The high percentage of strains that are carrying these resistance genes in people who are not taking antibiotics is consistent with the hypothesis that once acquired, these resistance genes are stably maintained in the absence of antibiotic selection. Six recently isolated strains carried ermB genes. Two were identical to erm(B)-P from Clostridium perfringens, and the other four had only one to three mismatches. The nine strains with ermG genes had DNA sequences that were more than 99% identical to the ermG of Bacillus sphaericus. Evidently, there is a genetic conduit open between gram-positive bacteria, including bacteria that only pass through the human colon, and the gram-negative Bacteroides species. Our results support the hypothesis that extensive gene transfer occurs among bacteria in the human colon, both within the genus Bacteroides and among Bacteroides species and gram-positive bacteria. | 2001 | 11157217 |
| 4663 | 4 | 0.9994 | Pan-genomics of Ochrobactrum species from clinical and environmental origins reveals distinct populations and possible links. Ochrobactrum genus is comprised of soil-dwelling Gram-negative bacteria mainly reported for bioremediation of toxic compounds. Since last few years, mainly two species of this genus, O. intermedium and O. anthropi were documented for causing infections mostly in the immunocompromised patients. Despite such ubiquitous presence, study of adaptation in various niches is still lacking. Thus, to gain insights into the niche adaptation strategies, pan-genome analysis was carried out by comparing 67 genome sequences belonging to Ochrobactrum species. Pan-genome analysis revealed it is an open pan-genome indicative of the continuously evolving nature of the genus. The presence/absence of gene clusters also illustrated the unique presence of antibiotic efflux transporter genes and type IV secretion system genes in the clinical strains while the genes of solvent resistance and exporter pumps in the environmental strains. A phylogenomic investigation based on 75 core genes depicted better and robust phylogenetic resolution and topology than the 16S rRNA gene. To support the pan-genome analysis, individual genomes were also investigated for the mobile genetic elements (MGE), antibiotic resistance genes (ARG), metal resistance genes (MRG) and virulence factors (VF). The analysis revealed the presence of MGE, ARG, and MRG in all the strains which play an important role in the species evolution which is in agreement with the pan-genome analysis. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) based on the genetic relatedness between the Ochrobactrum species indicated a distinction between individual species. Interestingly, the ANI tool was able to classify the Ochrobactrum genomes to the species level which were assigned till the genus level on the NCBI database. | 2020 | 32428556 |
| 4640 | 5 | 0.9994 | Genome analysis of probiotic bacteria for antibiotic resistance genes. To date, probiotic bacteria are used in the diet and have various clinical applications. There are reports of antibiotic resistance genes in these bacteria that can transfer to other commensal and pathogenic bacteria. The aim of this study was to use whole-genome sequence analysis to identify antibiotic resistance genes in a group of bacterial with probiotic properties. Also, this study followed existing issues about the importance and presence of antibiotic resistance genes in these bacteria and the dangers that may affect human health in the future. In the current study, a collection of 126 complete probiotic bacterial genomes was analyzed for antibiotic resistance genes. The results of the current study showed that there are various resistance genes in these bacteria that some of them are transferable to other bacteria. The tet(W) tetracycline resistance gene was more than other antibiotic resistance genes in these bacteria and this gene was found in Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. In our study, the most numbers of antibiotic resistance genes were transferred with mobile genetic elements. We propose that probiotic companies before the use of a micro-organism as a probiotic, perform an antibiotic susceptibility testing for a large number of antibiotics. Also, they perform analysis of complete genome sequence for prediction of antibiotic resistance genes. | 2022 | 34989942 |
| 4526 | 6 | 0.9994 | The tetracycline resistance gene tet(M) exhibits mosaic structure. Tetracycline resistance genes of the M class, tet(M), are typically found on mobile genetic elements as the conjugative transposons of gram-positive bacteria. By comparing the sequences of eight different tet(M) genes (from Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Ureaplasma urealyticum, and Neisseria), a mosaic structure was detected which could be traced to two distinct alleles. The two alleles displayed a divergence of 8% and a different G/C content. The block structure of these genes provides evidence for the contribution of homologous recombination to the evolution and the heterogeneity of the tet(M) locus. Unlike described cases of chromosomally located mosaic loci, tet(M) is a relatively recently acquired determinant in the species examined and it would appear that mosaic structure within tet(M) has evolved after acquisition of the gene by the mobile genetic elements upon which it is located. | 1996 | 8812782 |
| 4492 | 7 | 0.9994 | Phylogenetic analysis of rRNA methyltransferases, Erm and KsgA, as related to antibiotic resistance. It has long been speculated that erm and ksgA are related evolutionarily due to their sequence similarity and analogous catalytic reactions. We performed a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis with extensive Erm and KsgA/Dim1 sequences (Dim1 is the eukaryotic ortholog of KsgA). The tree provides insights into the evolutionary history of erm genes, showing early bifurcation of the Firmicutes and the Actinobacteria, and suggesting that the origin of the current erm genes in pathogenic bacteria cannot be explained by recent horizontal gene transfer from antibiotic producers. On the other hand, the phylogenetic analysis cannot support the commonly assumed phylogenetic relationships between erm and ksgA genes, the common ancestry of erm and ksgA or erm descended from preexisting ksgA, because the tree cannot be unequivocally rooted due to insufficient signal and long-branch attraction. The phylogenetic tree indicates that the erm gene underwent frequent horizontal gene transfer and duplication, resulting in phylogenetic anomalies and atypical phenotypes. Several electronically annotated Erm sequences were recognized as candidates for new classes of macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B-resistance determinants, sharing less than an 80% amino acid sequence identity with other Erm classes. | 2010 | 20618865 |
| 3596 | 8 | 0.9994 | Association of mercury resistance with antibiotic resistance in the gram-negative fecal bacteria of primates. Gram-negative fecal bacterial from three longitudinal Hg exposure experiments and from two independent survey collections were examined for their carriage of the mercury resistance (mer) locus. The occurrence of antibiotic resistance was also assessed in both mercury-resistant (Hgr) and mercury-susceptible (Hgs) isolates from the same collections. The longitudinal studies involved exposure of the intestinal flora to Hg released from amalgam "silver" dental restorations in six monkeys. Hgr strains were recovered before the installation of amalgams, and frequently these became the dominant strains while amalgams were installed. Such persistent Hgr strains always carried the same mer locus throughout the experiments. In both the longitudinal and survey collections, certain mer loci were preferentially associated with one genus, whereas other mer loci were recovered from many genera. In general, strains with any mer locus were more likely to be multiresistant than were strains without mer loci; this clustering tendency was also seen for antibiotic resistance genes. However, the association of antibiotic multiresistance with mer loci was not random; regardless of source, certain mer loci occurred in highly multiresistant strains (with as many as seven antibiotic resistances), whereas other mer loci were found in strains without any antibiotic resistance. The majority of highly multiresistant Hgr strains also carried genes characteristic of an integron, a novel genetic element which enables the formation of tandem arrays of antibiotic resistance genes. Hgr strains lacking antibiotic resistance showed no evidence of integron components. | 1997 | 9361435 |
| 3600 | 9 | 0.9994 | Uncultured soil bacteria are a reservoir of new antibiotic resistance genes. Antibiotic resistance genes are typically isolated by cloning from cultured bacteria or by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification from environmental samples. These methods do not access the potential reservoir of undiscovered antibiotic resistance genes harboured by soil bacteria because most soil bacteria are not cultured readily, and PCR detection of antibiotic resistance genes depends on primers that are based on known genes. To explore this reservoir, we isolated DNA directly from soil samples, cloned the DNA and selected for clones that expressed antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli. We constructed four libraries that collectively contain 4.1 gigabases of cloned soil DNA. From these and two previously reported libraries, we identified nine clones expressing resistance to aminoglycoside antibiotics and one expressing tetracycline resistance. Based on the predicted amino acid sequences of the resistance genes, the resistance mechanisms include efflux of tetracycline and inactivation of aminoglycoside antibiotics by phosphorylation and acetylation. With one exception, all the sequences are considerably different from previously reported sequences. The results indicate that soil bacteria are a reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes with greater genetic diversity than previously accounted for, and that the diversity can be surveyed by a culture-independent method. | 2004 | 15305923 |
| 3871 | 10 | 0.9994 | Functional characterization of bacteria isolated from ancient arctic soil exposes diverse resistance mechanisms to modern antibiotics. Using functional metagenomics to study the resistomes of bacterial communities isolated from different layers of the Canadian high Arctic permafrost, we show that microbial communities harbored diverse resistance mechanisms at least 5,000 years ago. Among bacteria sampled from the ancient layers of a permafrost core, we isolated eight genes conferring clinical levels of resistance against aminoglycoside, β-lactam and tetracycline antibiotics that are naturally produced by microorganisms. Among these resistance genes, four also conferred resistance against amikacin, a modern semi-synthetic antibiotic that does not naturally occur in microorganisms. In bacteria sampled from the overlaying active layer, we isolated ten different genes conferring resistance to all six antibiotics tested in this study, including aminoglycoside, β-lactam and tetracycline variants that are naturally produced by microorganisms as well as semi-synthetic variants produced in the laboratory. On average, we found that resistance genes found in permafrost bacteria conferred lower levels of resistance against clinically relevant antibiotics than resistance genes sampled from the active layer. Our results demonstrate that antibiotic resistance genes were functionally diverse prior to the anthropogenic use of antibiotics, contributing to the evolution of natural reservoirs of resistance genes. | 2015 | 25807523 |
| 3874 | 11 | 0.9994 | Culture-enriched human gut microbiomes reveal core and accessory resistance genes. BACKGROUND: Low-abundance microorganisms of the gut microbiome are often referred to as a reservoir for antibiotic resistance genes. Unfortunately, these less-abundant bacteria can be overlooked by deep shotgun sequencing. In addition, it is a challenge to associate the presence of resistance genes with their risk of acquisition by pathogens. In this study, we used liquid culture enrichment of stools to assemble the genome of lower-abundance bacteria from fecal samples. We then investigated the gene content recovered from these culture-enriched and culture-independent metagenomes in relation with their taxonomic origin, specifically antibiotic resistance genes. We finally used a pangenome approach to associate resistance genes with the core or accessory genome of Enterobacteriaceae and inferred their propensity to horizontal gene transfer. RESULTS: Using culture-enrichment approaches with stools allowed assembly of 187 bacterial species with an assembly size greater than 1 million nucleotides. Of these, 67 were found only in culture-enriched conditions, and 22 only in culture-independent microbiomes. These assembled metagenomes allowed the evaluation of the gene content of specific subcommunities of the gut microbiome. We observed that differentially distributed metabolic enzymes were associated with specific culture conditions and, for the most part, with specific taxa. Gene content differences between microbiomes, for example, antibiotic resistance, were for the most part not associated with metabolic enzymes, but with other functions. We used a pangenome approach to determine if the resistance genes found in Enterobacteriaceae, specifically E. cloacae or E. coli, were part of the core genome or of the accessory genome of this species. In our healthy volunteer cohort, we found that E. cloacae contigs harbored resistance genes that were part of the core genome of the species, while E. coli had a large accessory resistome proximal to mobile elements. CONCLUSION: Liquid culture of stools contributed to an improved functional and comparative genomics study of less-abundant gut bacteria, specifically those associated with antibiotic resistance. Defining whether a gene is part of the core genome of a species helped in interpreting the genomes recovered from culture-independent or culture-enriched microbiomes. | 2019 | 30953542 |
| 3704 | 12 | 0.9994 | Antibiotic resistance in bacteria isolated from the deep terrestrial subsurface. Various natural environments have been examined for the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and/or novel resistance mechanisms, but little is known about resistance in the terrestrial deep subsurface. This study examined two deep environments that differ in their known period of isolation from surface environments and the bacteria therein. One hundred fifty-four strains of bacteria were isolated from sediments located 170-259 m below land surface at the US Department of Energy Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina and Hanford Site (HS) in Washington. Analyses of 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that both sets of strains were phylogenetically diverse and could be assigned to several genera in three to four phyla. All of the strains were screened for resistance to 13 antibiotics by plating on selective media and 90% were resistant to at least one antibiotic. Eighty-six percent of the SRS and 62% of the HS strains were resistant to more than one antibiotic. Resistance to nalidixic acid, mupirocin, or ampicillin was noted most frequently. The results indicate that antibiotic resistance is common among subsurface bacteria. The somewhat higher frequencies of resistance and multiple resistance at the SRS may, in part, be due to recent surface influence, such as exposure to antibiotics used in agriculture. However, the HS strains have never been exposed to anthropogenic antibiotics but still had a reasonably high frequency of resistance. Given their long period of isolation from surface influences, it is possible that they possess some novel antibiotic resistance genes and/or resistance mechanisms. | 2009 | 18677528 |
| 4686 | 13 | 0.9994 | Culturing Ancient Bacteria Carrying Resistance Genes from Permafrost and Comparative Genomics with Modern Isolates. Long considered to be a consequence of human antibiotics use by deduction, antibiotic resistance mechanisms appear to be in fact a much older phenomenon as antibiotic resistance genes have previously been detected from millions of year-old permafrost samples. As these specimens guarantee the viability of archaic bacteria, we herein propose to apply the culturomics approach to recover the bacterial content of a Siberian permafrost sample dated, using the in situ-produced cosmogenic nuclide chlorine36 ((36)Cl), at 2.7 million years to study the dynamics of bacterial evolution in an evolutionary perspective. As a result, we cultured and sequenced the genomes of 28 ancient bacterial species including one new species. To perform genome comparison between permafrost strains and modern isolates we selected 7 of these species (i.e., Achromobacter insolitus, Bacillus idriensis, Brevundimonas aurantiaca, Janibacter melonis, Kocuria rhizophila, Microbacterium hydrocarbonoxydans and Paracoccus yeei). We observed a high level of variability in genomic content with a percentage of shared genes in the core genomes ranging from 21.23% to 55.59%. In addition, the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) comparison between permafrost and modern strains for the same species did not allow a dating of ancient strains based on genomic content. There were no significant differences in antibiotic resistance profiles between modern and ancient isolates of each species. Acquired resistance to antibiotics was phenotypically detected in all gram-negative bacterial species recovered from permafrost, with a significant number of genes coding for antibiotic resistance detected. Taken together, these findings confirm previously obtained data that antibiotic resistance predates humanity as most of antimicrobial agents are natural weapons used in inter-microbial conflicts within the biosphere. | 2020 | 33023015 |
| 4380 | 14 | 0.9994 | Comparative genome analysis of ciprofloxacin-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa reveals genes within newly identified high variability regions associated with drug resistance development. The alarming rise of ciprofloxacin-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been reported in several clinical studies. Though the mutation of resistance genes and their role in drug resistance has been researched, the process by which the bacterium acquires high-level resistance is still not well understood. How does the genomic evolution of P. aeruginosa affect resistance development? Could the exposure of antibiotics to the bacteria enrich genomic variants that lead to the development of resistance, and if so, how are these variants distributed through the genome? To answer these questions, we performed 454 pyrosequencing and a whole genome analysis both before and after exposure to ciprofloxacin. The comparative sequence data revealed 93 unique resistance strain variation sites, which included a mutation in the DNA gyrase subunit A gene. We generated variation-distribution maps comparing the wild and resistant types, and isolated 19 candidates from three discrete resistance-associated high variability regions that had available transposon mutants, to perform a ciprofloxacin exposure assay. Of these region candidates with transposon disruptions, 79% (15/19) showed a reduction in the ability to gain high-level resistance, suggesting that genes within these high variability regions might enrich for certain functions associated with resistance development. | 2013 | 23808957 |
| 4614 | 15 | 0.9994 | Listeria monocytogenes ability to survive desiccation: Influence of serotype, origin, virulence, and genotype. Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that is responsible for listeriosis, is a very diverse species. Desiccation resistance has been rarely studied in L. monocytogenes, although it is a stress that is largely encountered by this microorganism in food-processing environments and that could be managed to prevent its presence. The objective of this study was to evaluate the resistance of 30 L. monocytogenes strains to moderate desiccation (75% relative humidity) and evaluate the correlation of such resistance with the strains' virulence, serotype and genotype. The results showed a great heterogeneity of strains regarding their ability to survive (loss of cultivability between 0.4 and 2.0 log). Strains were classified into three groups according to desiccation resistance (sensitive, intermediate, or resistant), and the strain repartition was analyzed relative to serotype, virulence level and environmental origin of the strains. No correlation was found between isolate origin and desiccation resistance. All serotype 1/2b strains were classified into the group of resistant strains. Virulent and hypovirulent strains were distributed among the three groups of desiccation resistance. Finally, a genomic comparison was performed based on 31 genes that were previously identified as being involved in desiccation resistance. The presence of those genes was localized among the genomes of some strains and compared regarding strain-resistance levels. High nucleotide conservation was identified between resistant and desiccation-sensitive strains. In conclusion, the findings regarding the strains of serotype 1/2b indicate potential serotype-specific resistance to desiccation, and thus, to relative humidity fluctuations potentially encountered in food-related environments. The genomic comparison of 31 genes associated to desiccation tolerance did not reveal differences among four strains which have different level of resistance to desiccation. | 2017 | 28288399 |
| 3687 | 16 | 0.9994 | Genome Sequence of a Novel Multiple-Antibiotic-Resistant Member of the Erysipelotrichaceae Family Isolated from a Swine Manure Storage Pit. The swine gastrointestinal tract and stored swine manure may serve as reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes, as well as sources of novel bacteria. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of a novel taxon in the Erysipelotrichaceae family, isolated from a swine manure storage pit that is resistant to multiple antibiotics. | 2016 | 27660777 |
| 4500 | 17 | 0.9994 | Mosaic tetracycline resistance genes encoding ribosomal protection proteins. First reported in 2003, mosaic tetracycline resistance genes are a subgroup of the genes encoding ribosomal protection proteins (RPPs). They are formed when two or more RPP-encoding genes recombine resulting in a functional chimera. To date, the majority of mosaic genes are derived from sections of three RPP genes, tet(O), tet(W) and tet(32), with others comprising tet(M) and tet(S). In this first review of mosaic genes, we report on their structure, diversity and prevalence, and suggest that these genes may be responsible for an under-reported contribution to tetracycline resistance in bacteria. | 2016 | 27494928 |
| 4960 | 18 | 0.9994 | Bacteriophages and diffusion of genes encoding antimicrobial resistance in cystic fibrosis sputum microbiota. OBJECTIVES: The cystic fibrosis (CF) airway is now considered the site of a complex microbiota, where cross-talking between microbes and lateral gene transfer are believed to contribute to the adaptation of bacteria to this specific environment and to the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria. The objective of this study was to retrieve and analyse specific sequences associated with antimicrobial resistance from the CF viromes database. METHODS: Specific sequences from CF metagenomic studies related to the 'antibiotic and toxic compound resistance' dataset were retrieved from the MG-RAST web site, assembled and functionally annotated for identification of the genes. Phylogenetic trees were constructed using a minimum parsimony starting tree topology search strategy. RESULTS: Overall, we found 1031 short sequences in the CF virome putatively encoding resistance to antimicrobials versus only 3 reads in the non-CF virome dataset (P = 0.001). Among them, we could confidently identify 66 efflux pump genes, 15 fluoroquinolone resistance genes and 9 β-lactamase genes. Evolutionary relatedness determined using phylogenetic information demonstrates the different origins of these genes among the CF microbiota. Interestingly, among annotated sequences within CF viromes, we also found matching 16S rDNA sequences from Escherichia, Cyanobacteria and Bacteroidetes. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that phages in the CF sputum microbiota represent a reservoir of mobilizable genes associated with antimicrobial resistance that may spread in this specific niche. This phenomenon could explain the fantastic adaptation of CF strains to their niche and may represent a new potential therapeutic target to prevent the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria, which are responsible for most of the deaths in CF. | 2011 | 21816767 |
| 4687 | 19 | 0.9994 | Distribution of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Kocuria Species. BACKGROUD: Kocuria are widespread Gram-positive bacteria. Although they are traditionally classified as non-pathogenic, recent studies have shown that they can cause problems in various fields, from livestock and aquaculture to medicine. This has led to an increased need to understand their antibiotic resistance mechanisms in order to combat them. METHODS: To study the determinants of Kocuria antibiotic resistance, we used bioinformatics methods. To identify antibiotic resistance genes, we retrieved the complete genome sequences of Kocuria strains from the RefSeq database and screened them for antibiotic resistance determinants with different mechanisms of action. We also studied Kocuria strains in more detail: we sequenced whole genomes of K. carniphila 988, K. rhizophila 155, K. rosea 394 and K. rosea 397, and, in addition to bioinformatics studies, and tested five strains for their ability to grow in the presence of antibiotics. RESULTS: For these five strains, the presence of antibiotic resistance genes in their genomes correlated well with the observed resistance to the corresponding antibiotics: all 5 studied strains have a high level of resistance to chloramphenicol, in addition, K. carniphila 988 is highly resistant to azithromycin and avilamycin. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, it has been demonstrated that antibiotic resistance genes are present in many Kocuria genomes and these genes are functional in the strains we have studied. | 2025 | 41148733 |